As a performer, learning how to stop singing from your throat is a challenge faced by many, but is not one that can’t be solved with a few simple exercises. If you’d like to know the easiest ways to stop singing from your throat, check out our 4 steps below.
Stopping singing from your throat can be readily resolved. From keeping your throat clean to learning how to relax, building up the diaphragm, knowing where it is and breathing from your stomach, you can strengthen your vocal sound in no time at all.
Over time, singing from your throat can lead to a hoarse and raspy sound from where the throat has grown tired of being tight. With the right steps, this will become much easier, allowing those strong vocals to grow.
How to stop singing from your throat
Learning how to stop singing from your throat can be achieved by following the correct steps and making sure you stick to them.
From singing high notes and forgetting to breathe, or not using the diaphragm, singing from your throat doesn’t have to be a vocal obstacle.
#1 How to know when you are singing from your diaphragm
The first step to stop singing from your throat is to know when you are singing from a vocalist’s ultimate utensil; the diaphragm. To paint a clearer picture, the diaphragm is a dome-like shaped muscle that nestles just below the heart and lungs.
The diaphragm takes the air in and out of the lungs with a flexing and contracting motion. This movement is similar to what a balloon would do if you were to repeatedly blow into it and let a little out. When singing, it’s good practice to breathe deeper than usual to keep the diaphragm super flat.
The flatter your diaphragm sits, the better control you’ll achieve of your breath as you sing out your favourite ballads. You’ll also be able to add exciting dynamics and expression to your vocal practice too.
This also means you can control at what speed and how much air you lose as you sing. Aim for it to travel across the vocal cords and glide across the soft palate, blossoming into a striking vocal riff.
Take a deep breath and don’t let that breath stop and swirl within your throat and chest. If you can make sure it hits low down in your stomach, you’ll be singing from your diaphragm and not your throat. A singing success.
#2 Relaxing your throat when you sing
Relaxing your throat will help prevent singing through your throat. The more at ease your throat is when singing, the more open it’ll feel, allowing vocal release and steering away singing from your throat.
We have muscles that travel down the back of the throat that become stiff and tighten up when we are, for example, nervous about a singing exam.
These strong muscles are called ‘constrictors’ and help us swallow. But we don’t want them constricting when we’re singing; they need to be chilled out.
As Cari Cole explains, one interesting way to help the throat relax is by placing your finger on your Adam’s apple, which your vocal cords are tucked within.
Repeat some small yawns, which release the tension in the throat. Whilst doing this allow the muscles at the back of your throat to relax.
With every repeating yawn, try to release a big sigh saying “ahhhhh” at a note that you feel best with.
Try this five times and your throat should feel lots more relaxed, making way for those projecting vocals.
#3 Exercising and building up your diaphragm
In the same way, an athlete will train for a marathon, you can strengthen your diaphragm regularly with some cool exercises.
As Jabber Di advises, posture is a great place to start. Standing straight and tall, with your hands sitting at your sides, and feet just shoulder-width apart will have your diaphragm feeling nice and spacious. Ready for some hard work during vocal practice.
Stand with your shoulder blades resting back and your knees relaxed, you are off to a flying start.
With the right posture mastered like a professional, an exercise you can give try starts off with taking an inhale of breath (making sure one hand is on your stomach).
Take a deep inhale, your belly should push forward like when you blow up a beach ball.
As you exhale, you’ll feel your stomach deflate. Repeat 15 times to get the diaphragm feeling ready and raring to go, avoiding pushing those vocals from the throat.
#4 Easing a tight throat whilst singing
It’s all about learning to relax when singing. The more open your throat is, the easier it is to sing from the diaphragm.
In particular, high notes or stage nerves might be a guilty contender for causing throat tightness. It’s a normal struggle that singers come across.
It’s a quick and simple solution to easing a tight throat. Just making sure you regularly warm up before singing practice, lessons and performances is a great way to keep the throat at ease.
Adding your breathing exercises and a diaphragm workout to your warm-up will help even more.
#5 Keeping your throat healthy
The throat has to keep extremely busy as we sing. Therefore, keeping it happy and healthy is greatly important.
Even though you don’t want to sing from your throat, the notes still travel through and it’s also home to the soft palate.
To nurture the throat in the best way possible, it helps to enjoy a hot cup of honey and ginger frequently as the combination protects your throat from irritation.
You can also gargle nightly with salt. Not the best tasting, but it helps keep the throat cleansed.
Related questions:
- Is it bad to sing from your throat?
Singing from your throat isn’t recommended. The number one location you should be practising singing from is your diaphragm. Focusing on this will provide a clear and stronger sound to your vocals.
- How do singers keep their throats healthy?
Keeping your throat cleansed and healthy should be a priority if you are a budding singer. You can do this by regular singing warm-ups, hot honey and ginger and gargling salt regularly.
- How do you prepare your throat for singing?
The throat needs help to warm up in the same way we need some time to wake up on those cold and early mornings.
Firstly, make sure your throat is clean and free from feeling sore. You can do this with a quick gargle of salt water.
Next up is relaxing your throat by trying out a few techniques such as repetitive yawning.
Lastly, before doing your all-important singing warm-ups, take some time out to do breathing exercises as this will shift focus onto singing from your stomach.
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